1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved belt pulley and to a method of making such a belt pulley or the like.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known in the art to provide a belt pulley having a hub and a peripheral groove for receiving part of an endless belt therein that is to drive the pulley or be dirven thereby whereby the pulley is adapted to be rotated about the axis of the hub, the pulley having a plurality of radially disposed fins extending outwardly from at least one side thereof. However, it is believed that no cover plate covers such fins so as to provide closed passages between the fins except at the inlets and outlets thereof.
However, it is known in the disc brake art to provide in the disc brake rotor a plurality of radially disposed passage means each provided with an inlet adjacent the hub of the brake rotor and an outlet adjacent the outer periphery of the brake rotor whereby fluid passing through the passages from the inlets thereof to the outlets thereof will tend to cool the brake rotor as the brake rotor rotates about the axis of the hub thereof, the passage means each being defined between a pair of radially disposed vanes.
It is also known to provide a belt pulley having a hub and a peripheral groove for receiving part of an endless belt therein that is to drive the pulley or be driven thereby whereby the pulley is adapted to be rotated about the axis of the hub, the groove of the pulley defining an annular bottom surface of the groove and a pair of spaced apart angled inside surfaces of the groove that join with the bottom surface and diverge away from each other as the angled surfaces extend away from the bottom surface. The angled surfaces are adapted to be engaged by opposed angled sides of the belt in such a manner that the bottom of the belt will be spaced from the bottom surface. The pulley has opposed outer sides. The pulley has means defining at least one passage means provided with an inlet interrupting one of the opposed outer sides adjacent the hub and an outlet interrupting the bottom surface of the peripheral groove whereby fluid passing through the passage means from the inlet to the outlet thereof will tend to cool the pulley and the belt as the pulley rotates about its axis. For example, see British Pat. No. 865,797.